The Famous Grouse Sherry Cask Finish
The Famous Grouse, but richer. This blend is finished in European oak sherry casks and returns with dark chocolate, maple syrup and roasted nuts. Smooth enough to drink neat, full enough for an Old Fashioned.
What a sherry cask does
The Famous Grouse Sherry Cask Finish is a blended Scotch from the Matthew Gloag house in Perth, with the same malts from The Macallan and Highland Park at its heart as the Finest. The difference from the regular Finest comes in the final step: the blend is finished in European oak casks that previously held sherry. These casks give the whisky a deeper colour and a richer, sweeter flavour.
Where the Finest is light, with honey and orange, here you taste dark chocolate, maple syrup and roasted almonds and hazelnuts. The orange is still there, along with poached pear. It is not a heavy sherry bomb, but a rounded, warm whisky that has much more to say when drunk neat than the standard bottle.
In brief
Chocolate, nuts and a warm glow
Orange and pear
Fresh orange and poached pear, followed by chocolate, maple syrup and roasted almonds and hazelnuts.
Smooth and rich
A smooth texture with a rich character: oak, vanilla, dark chocolate and maple syrup.
Warm and spicy
A warm, slightly spicy finish in which the nuts and sweetness linger for a while.
Tasting profile of The Famous Grouse Sherry Cask Finish neat. Sweeter and richer than the Finest, not smoky like the Smoky Black.
Three ways to drink Sherry Cask Finish
The sherry casks make it rich enough to drink neat, but it also works well in classic cocktails.
Neat, at room temperature
Pour 30 ml into a tasting glass and let it sit for a moment. Smell the orange and chocolate, take a small sip and notice the nuts in the finish.
Tasting glasses →Old Fashioned
Stir 50 ml Sherry Cask Finish, 5 ml sugar syrup and 2 dashes of Angostura with ice, then strain over a large ice cube. Express an orange peel over the top.
Go to the recipe →On one ice cube
40 ml over a large ice cube in a tumbler. The chill makes it fresher, while the chocolate remains even as the ice slowly melts.
Tumblers →Classics for a sherry-rich whisky
Stirred cocktails with vermouth, liqueur or bitters pair best with chocolate and nuts.
Old Fashioned
Whisky, sugar and bitters. The orange and chocolate come through beautifully.
Rob Roy
Manhattan with Scotch instead of rye. Sweet vermouth complements the sherry sweetness.
Godfather
Scotch with amaretto over ice. The whisky's roasted nuts complement the almond.
Whisky Sour
Whisky, lemon and sugar. With sherry cask finishing, fuller and rounder than usual.The right glass for Sherry Cask Finish
A tasting glass for nosing the sherry, a heavy tumbler for the Old Fashioned and Godfather, and a coupe for the Rob Roy.
More flavors of The Famous Grouse
The Famous Grouse
Where it all began. The brand page tells you everything about The Famous Grouse: origins, varieties and classic cocktails.
Go to The Famous Grouse →
The Famous Grouse Smoky Black
Peat smoke, dried fruit and spices, but soft and sweet. The entry-level smoky whisky.
View The Famous Grouse Smoky Black →Everything about whisky: the types, best-known brands and cocktails.
Questions about The Famous Grouse Sherry Cask Finish
Can't find your question here? Read more on the page about The Famous Grouse or check out our cocktail recipes.
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